What We Know About The COVID Subvariant JN.1 Detected In Kerala?

The 79-year-old woman who tested positive had mild symptoms of influenza-like illness and is now believed to have recovered, according to PTI.

Speaking to ANI, INSACOG Chief NK Arora said, “India is keeping a vigil and that’s the reason no hospitalisation or severe disease has been reported so far.”

What is subvariant JN.1?

The JN.1 variant which is a descendant of BA.2.86, commonly referred to as Pirola, was first detected in Luxembourg in August earlier this year, followed by England, Iceland, France and the US.

In November, the World Health Organisation stated, “BA.2.86 was classified as a variant under monitoring? on 17 August 2023 and based on updated information, BA.2.86 and its sublineages (including JN.1) are now being classified as a variant of interest.”

WHO terms a variant as a “variant of interest” when there are signs it could impact public health, but there isn't clear evidence yet of significant effects. Scientists closely monitor these variants to understand more about their potential impact.

In the USA, one-fifth of all COVID cases are believed to be linked to the JN.1 subvariant, as per authorities, USA Today reported on Thursday.

“This uptick suggests that JN.1 could be more transmissible and better at slipping past people’s immune systems, the CDC said. Hospitalizations and deaths, indicators for COVID-19 spread, also remain elevated, with cases rising in the Midwest and mid-Atlantic,” the report read.

China has also reported several JN.1 cases in the recent weeks. Authorities in China acknowledged the 'very low' prevalence but did not rule out the possibility of it becoming the dominant strain.

Concerns for India

The detection of the JN.1 subvariant in Kerala has raised concerns about the potential spread of the virus in India. Additionally, an Indian traveller from Tamil Nadu was found to have the JN.1 subvariant in Singapore after visiting on October 25.

“JN.1 is a severely immune-evasive and fast-spreading variant, markedly different from XBB and all other prior versions of this virus. This enables it to infect people who had previous Covid infections and also people who were vaccinated,” said Rajeev Jayadevan, National Indian Medical Association COVID Task Force’s co-chairman.

Speaking to ANI, Jayadevan said there had been a rise in the number of COVID cases in India after a seven-month gap. He said, people are getting infected in Kerala but the severity of the cases so far appears to be the same as before.